If you want to take card payments in your business, you’ll need a PDQ machine, which is just another name for a card machine.
It stands for ‘Process Data Quickly’ and was the original name used for card machines way back when they were first introduced to the UK; and it’s still a name some people use for them today.
However, the PDQ machines of yesteryear worked quite differently to how they do today. In fact, they didn’t really live up to their original name at all.
With a PDQ machine, when you wanted to take a card payment, your customer would need to swipe their credit or debit card through it. The machine then printed out a receipt, which the customer would have to sign to authorise the payment.
You would then need to check the signature to the one that’s on the back of their card to make sure that they matched. It was a very long-winded process and not safe at all!
It meant that if a customer’s card had been lost or stolen, the thief would just need to perfect the signature on the back of the card to commit fraud.
PDQ machines let you take card payments easily. They work in the following way:
No matter what you want to call them, a PDQ machine is an essential device that business owners should consider.
If you don’t take cards already, you’ll benefit from:
Because PDQ machines could be easily used for card payment fraud, a new technology was brought in designed to help combat this. Enter chip and PIN.
First introduced to the UK in 2006, chip and PIN works by having your customer insert their debit card or credit card into the card machine. But instead of providing a signature, they type in a 4-digit PIN code. This PIN should be secret to .
Once they’ve put in their PIN, the chip of the customers card speaks to the card machine. The transaction data is then sent to your merchant account, which is where the transaction is checked and authorised by your customers bank.
After it’s been authorised, the payment’s sent from your customers bank into your own business bank account, where you’ll be able to access the money.
Chip and PIN is considered a quicker and much more secure way to pay, and since it was introduced, annual counterfeit card fraud losses dropped by £81.9 million between 2004 and 2014.
At takepayments, we have a range of different PDQ machines to choose from, all designed to suit various businesses. There’s…
We make it easy to get started.
We’ve got a team of local payment consultants who can come out and meet you to learn more about your business. They’ll then create a personalised pricing package around your business to best suit your needs. Plus, there’s no set-up fees to join!
We also understand the need to be flexible. That’s why we offer short 12-month contracts.
Interested? Fill in our short form today for a free quote or give us a call.